Not Ashamed.

This is the painting I did for our current series at NVC called ‘Not Ashamed’. Along with several compliments, I’ve received quite a few questions asking me to explain the painting.

Life can get messy. Sin, tragedy, struggle… These things can overwhelm us to the point where they begin to become our identity. There have been times in my life where it’s hard to imagine God seeing me as anything but a dark mess. In those moments its hard to feel anything but ashamed in the presence of God.

But in the midst of all that mess is a soul. A soul that God loves so deeply, that He sent Jesus to die as a means of redemption. That redemption means my identity is no longer defined by my sin, the messiness of my life, or any of those things that make me feel ashamed.

My identity comes from Christ.

And that is good news.

This painting is about giving up that old identity. Seeing beyond the mess of sin and pain and all the shame it brings. It’s about the weary soul being resurrected by the Good News, and no longer being ashamed.